Electric switch



Jan. 12, 1943. H. VAN VALKENBURG 2,308,406

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VENTOR #:1710171. /A vr/llzzzlzoz A TTORNE Y J 2, 1943. H. L. VAN VALKENBURG 2,308,406

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 12, 1943 ELECTRIC SWITCH Hermon L. Van Valkenburg, Wauwatosa, Wis.

assignor to Square D Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application March 15, 1940, Serial No. 324,110

Claims.

This invention relates to devices for making and breaking electric circuits and more particularly to electric switches of the selector type.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of electric switch having a simple and economical construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in an electric switch an improved and simplified construction transforming rotary movement of the operating handle into reciprocatory movement of the movable contacts to make and break a plurality of independent circuits alternately or selectively as desired.

Other objects and features of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the specification and appended drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an electric switch according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 1 and showing certain of the contacts in disengaged position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line VIIVII of Figure 2 and showing two sets of contacts of the switch in disengaged position.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with part of the operating handle broken away and showing certain of the contacts in closed position.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line IX-IX of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing the position of the parts when the contacts of Figure 9 have been actuated to reversed position.

The electric switch of the present invention comprises a body portion I formed in two sections 2 and 3 which may be comprised of molded insulating material. Projecting portions 4 formed upon the top of section 3 and at either end thereof are adapted to be received within openings 5 provided at either end of section 2 for the proper positioning of the sections 2 and 3 with respect to each other. The sections are joined together as by the studs 6 and I passed through openings provided in section 3 and threaded into section 2.

The sections 2 and 3 are also provided with the openings II and I2, respectively, at either end thereof, openings II of section 2 being a continuation of the openings 5 and aligning with openings |2 of section 3 whereby studs or other fastening means may be passed therethrough for the securing of the switch at a desired location.

Upon ledge portions |3 formed at each corner of section 2 are disposed generally U-shaped conducting members |4 with the leg portions thereof embracing the ledge portions I3. Each of the members I4 is held in position upon its ledge l3 by a stud l5 extending through aligned openings provided in the leg portions and the ledge and threaded into the lower leg. The stud l5 further serves as a terminal screw for securing a circuit conductor. The interior end of the longer leg of the conducting member l4 carries a contact face l9 which serves as a stationary contact. The members I4 are disposed upon the ledges |3 with the leg portions thereof extending lengthwise and being inwardly directed to provide a pair of spaced stationary contacts at either side of the switch. To bridge the spaced stationary contacts for making and breaking the circuit therethrough, there are provided movable contact members 2| and 22 carrying contact surfaces 23 at their ends positioned to cooperate with the stationary contact faces l3. Spring members 24, the lower ends of which are disposed in recesses 25 provided in section 3, bear against the under surfaces of the movable contacts 2| and 22 to normally urge them upwardly into bridging relation with the stationary contact faces. Disposed above each of the movable contacts 2| and 22 and within passages 26 and 21 provided at either side of section 2 are the reciprocatory members 23 and 23 having portions 3| extending through openings provided generally centrally in the movable contacts 2| and 22 and into the coil springs 24 for which they serve as guides or retainers as well as properly positioning the movable contacts. Within the passages 26 and 21 and above said reciprocatory members 28 and 29 are disposed the ball means 32 and 33, actuable as will hereinafter be described to efiect reciprocatory movement of the members 23 and 29 and of the movable contact members 2| and 22.

An operating member 34 is provided having a base portion 35 of suflicient width to span and cover the passages 26 and 21 and having its under surface provided with recesses 36 and 31 adapted in certain positions of the operating member to align with the passages 26 and 21. The operating member 34 has a shaft portion 38 of unqual diameters and with headed portion 33 at its end. This shaft extends'through and is journaled in central openings in the body sections tion 2 and upon movement of the operating member 34 is engageable at either edge by a key portion 43 carried by the shaft 38 to define the limits of rotary movement of the operating member.

Within the top surface of section 2 and disposed at one side of the central opening are provided recesses 43 and 5| within which are located spring members 54 and ball means 55, the spring members exerting their bias to urge the ball means 55 upwardly to bear against the under surface of the base of the operating member. Rotary movement of the operating member will align the recesses 36 and 31 with the recesses 49 and 5| permitting upward movement of the ball means 55 under the bias of the spring members 54 to locate the operating member in its manipulated positions. In the position shown in Figure 1, the ball means 55 are received in the recesses 36 and 31 to locate the operating member in its neutral position. In this position ball means 32 and 33 are both depressed by engagement with the under surface of the base 35 so that both movable contacts are placed in separated position.

The operating member 34 is movable in opposite directions to place the recess 36 in line with passage 26 or the recess 31 in line with passage 21. With the first position (shown in Fig. ball 32 enters recess 36 to permit member 28 to move upwardly whereupon contact 2| moves into bridging engagement with the stationary contacts to complete the circuit therethrough. Similarly in the second position (shown in Fig. 9) the contact 22 will move into engagement with its stationary contacts to complete that circuit. In the first position of Figure 10. the recess 31 will be occupied by the ball 55 which is located adjacent to the ball 32; and, in the second position of Figure 9, the recess 36 will be occupied by the ball 55 adjacent to the ball 33. It is thus seen that the recesses 36 and 31 at all times receive two of the operating or retaining ball means, in the neutral position the balls 55 and in the two opposite operating positions either ball 32 and one of the balls 55 or the ball 33 and the other of the balls 55. The cooperation of the ledge portion 41 and key portion 48 limits the rotation of the operating member to its opposite extreme positions and it is seen that provision is made whereby selection, as desired, may be had of both of the circuits through the switch open or either of the circuits closed while the ther remains open.

The ball means 55 as well as the ball means 32 and 33 cooperate with the recesses 36 and 31 not only to properly locate the operating member, but also by the resistance which they offer to initial movement and to which they give the final movement cause the operating member to move with a snap-like action which causes the engagement and disengagement of the cooperating contact faces to be quickly effected. This snap action is, of course, not positive since the operating member can be moved slowly if positively gripped, still the resistance and aid to movement of the spring bias balls tends in the normal operation to efiect the snap operating characteristic.

While certain preferred embodiments oi this invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric switch, an insulating body portion having a plurality of openings therein, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts secured thereon, a plurality oi bridging movable contact members adapted to cooperate therewith, spring means urging said bridging movable contacts toward engaged position, a reciprocating member disposed within each of said openings and extending beyond and into engagement with said movable contacts, means carried by the reciprocating member passing through said movable contacts for mounting and positioning said movable contacts within said switch, means disposed within each of said openings and in engagement with said reciprocating means, and normally movable to actuate said reciprocating means to carry said bridging movable contact members with a snap movement to disengaged position against the bias of said spring means, and an operating member rotatable in opposite directions to alternately move said means to thereby alternately move said bridging movable contacts to disengaged positions.

2. In an electric switch, an insulating body portion having a plurality of openings therethrough, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts secured thereon, a plurality of movable contact plates adapted to bridge said spaced stationary contacts, spring means urging said movable contacts toward engaged position, an operating member having a plurality of recesses in the base thereof for cooperation with said openings, a reciprocating member disposed within each of said openings and extending beyond and into engagement with a movable contact plate, said reciprocating member having means thereon extending through said movable contact plate to mount and position said movable contact relative to said stationary contacts, ball means disposed within each of said openings and between said reciprocating member and the base of said operating member, said operating member being rotatable to present either a plane surface over an opening to move said ball means inwardly thereby moving the reciprocating means and carrying the movable contact plate associated therewith to disengaged position or to 'align a recess over an opening normally permitting snap movement of said ball means, the reciprocating means and the movable contact plate in the opposite direction to contacts engaged position under the bia of the spring means, said recesses upon said operating member base being so spaced that all of said recesses cannot align with an opening at the same time whereby only certain of said movable contact plates are moved to engaged position.

3. In an electric switch, an insulating body portion having a plurality of openings therein, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts secured thereon, a plurality of movable contact plates adapted to bridge said spaced stationary contacts, spring means urging said movable contacts toward engaged position, an operating member having a plurality of recesses in the base thereof for cooperation with said openings, a

2,808,406 reciprocating member disposed within each of said openings and extending beyond and into engagement with a movable contact plate, said reciprocating member having a portion thereof extending through said movable contact plate for mounting and positioning said movable contact plate relative to said stationary contact: ball means disposed within each of said openings and between said reciprocating member and the base of said operating member, said operating member being rotatable to present either a plane surface over an opening to move said ball means inwardly thereby normally moving the reciprocating means with a snap action and carrying the movable contact plate associated therewith to disengaged position or to align a recess over an opening permitting snap movement of said ball means, the reciprocating means and the movable contact plate in the opposite direction to contacts engaged position under the bias of the spring means, said operating member being operable to present plane surfaces to each of said openings concurrently to thereby simultaneously maintain each oi. said movable contact plates in disengaged position.

4. In an electric switch, an insulating body portion having a plurality of openings therein, a. plurality of spaced stationary contacts secured thereon, a plurality of movable contact plates adapted to bridge said spaced stationary contacts, spring means urging said movable contacts toward engaged position, an operating member having a plurality oi recesses in the base thereof for cooperation with said openings, a reciprocating member disposed within each of said openings and extending beyond and into engagement with a movable contact plate, ball means disposed within each of said openings and between said reciprocating member and the base or said operating member, said operating member being rotatable to present either a plane surface over an opening to move said ball means inwardly thereby moving the reciprocating means and carrying the movable contact plate associated therewith to disengaged position or to align a recess over an opening permitting movement of said ball means, the reciprocating means and the movable contact plate in the opder the bias of the spring means, said operating member being operable to present plane surfaces to each of said openings concurrently to thereby simultaneously maintain each of said movable contact plates in disengaged position, auxiliary openings in said body portion, auxiliary spring means and auxiliary ball means in said auxiliary openings, said auxiliary spring means biasing said auxiliary ball means into engagement with the base of the operating member, at least certain of said auxiliary ball means cooperating with at least certain of said recesses to normally render the movement 01 said operating member snap-like in action toeflect snap movement of said movable contact to engaged and disengaged positions.

5. In an electric switch, a pair of interengaging blocks formed of insulating material, the first or said blocks having a recess therein and the second having a plurality of openings therein leading to said recess, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts secured to a block, a plurality of bridging movable contact members disposed within said recess and adapted to cooperate with said stationary contacts, a reciprocating member disposed within each of said openings and extending beyond and into engagement with said movable contacts, said reciprocating members carrying means for mounting and positioning said movable contact members within said recess, spring means disposed about said positioning means and adapted to urge said bridging movable contacts toward engaged position, an operating member rotatively movable, means disposed between said operating member and said reciprocating member and operable by said operating member to actuate said reciprocating member to move the bridgin movable contact member associated therewith to disengaged position against the bias of said spring means, said operating member being rotatable first in one direction to eflect movement of a bri ngimovable contact member to engaged and disengaged positions and then in an opposite a direction to eiiect movement or a second bridgposltedirection to. contacts engag d position 1111- ing movable contact member to engaged and disengaged positions.

HERMON L. VAN VALKENBURG. 

